KBS raises the curtain on its annual Drama Special series

Another year, another KBS Drama Special series. I’m not usually a fan of drama shorts in general, but I’ll be tuning into the one-episode stories that make up this year’s string of specials over on KBS, which promises ten different “romances.” We have two short teasers out for the first half of the series, listed below, and the glimpses we get have me pretty excited at the amount of talent KBS has managed to recruit this year.

If We Were a Season: This is going to be so cute, I just know it. Jang Dong-yoon (School 2017), Chae Soo-bin (Strongest Deliveryman), and Jinyoung (Moonlight Drawn By Clouds) star in a high-school love triangle described as a “youth melo,” though I do have to wonder whether the melo part is just in the characters’ heads. ‘Cause I cracked up when Jang Dong-yoon yells, “If we really are just friends…” with Chae Soo-bin responding, equally serious, “I don’t know, you bastard,” and then we cut to a teacher telling them to shut up and raise their arms as we see them kneeling on the floor in punishment mode. Lol, that school bell at the end.

You’re Closer Than I Think: Lee Sang-yub (This Week, My Wife Will Have an Affair) and Kim So-eun (Our Gap-soon) will costar in a mystery melodrama centering around a bride who leaves her would-be husband at the altar and takes off on the honeymoon solo, leaving just a single text message. Her jilted groom and the audience will find out more sides to the runaway bride, played by Kim So-eun, through the hints she’s left behind. When not being abandoned at the altar, Lee Sang-yub’s character is a secondhand bookstore owner and the radio DJ of his own station.

Let Us Meet, Joo-oh: Set in Gyeongseong—the old name for modern-day Seoul—during the Japanese occupation, this period rom-com gives a contemporary narrative an old-school spin. Jo Boa (The Man Living in Our House) stars as a country bumpkin desperate to marry a “modern man” with all of the right qualifications, and goes to a matchmaking service to make it happen. Sohn Ho-joon (Blow Breeze) plays her “couple manager” who attempts to fulfill her wishes, though it looks like he has his work cut out for him, since we see him in the teaser try to relate to his client that “in this era, people only meet others within their rank.” Lol, did he really try to set her up with a Taoist monk? Can’t wait to see more of the blind date hijinks in early 20th-century Korea!

Waltzing Alone: We take our setting back to the modern-day for this drama special, with two youths in a long-term relationship (8 years!!) who encounter tensions of break-up proportions when they both apply to the same company. Moon Ga-young (Live Up to Your Name) will play one-half of the troubled couple who initially fell in love in a waltz class. There’s nothing quite as topical as youth unemployment, especially in Korea at the moment, so here’s to hoping this couple finds a way to get through this intact.

Madame Jung’s Last Week: And last, but certainly not least, we have a part dark comedy, part heist story about a bar owner and an abused child joining forces to maintain possession of a money bag they pick up serendipitously. Ra Mi-ran (Laurel Tree Tailors) plays the bar hostess and adorable child actress Shin Rin-ah (Defendant) will play her partner-in-crime, a child abused by her stepfather and used as a money-making tool by her mother. They sound like the most reluctant, adorable couple ever. I’m rooting for their “romance” the most out of all of these stories, to be honest.

All in all, it’s a pretty great lineup of stories and casts. The schedule for the rest of the specials hasn’t been released yet and the descriptions above aren’t in any particular order, but If We Were a Season will kick start the 2017 KBS Drama Specials this coming Sunday, September 3.

August 28, 2017 at 3:28 PM

I mean, she was offered the lead in Solomon's Perjury (where she would have been his costar, though not love interests - that drama really wasn't about that) but turned it down to do Rebel, and now here we are with these two paired up.

I do love that drama specials give some under-the-radar talent the chance to shine, but I really wish this particular one was a full-length series (or maybe it's just my love of everyone from Rebel and School 2017 talking).

August 28, 2017 at 11:03 PM

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My conclusion is, since secondary characters sometimes are more complex, they need more talented actors. The main leads' characters at times not really that challenging especially female leads' characters- so they give those roles to less talented ones. Of course it's not always the case. I just wish, kdrama will start to appreciate secondary characters more. At times, we the viewers stay for the drama until the end because of secondary characters, not main ones.

August 29, 2017 at 5:31 PM

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I agree there have been quite a few instances where actors and actresses in second lead have gained more attention for being in those roles. Ones I can think of are Lee Dong Wook in Goblin, Lee Jae Wook from Voice and Nam Goong Min from The Girl Who Sees Smells. I do also remember some actors metnioned they prefer to play secondary characters to challenge themselves as well.

August 28, 2017 at 10:42 PM

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LOL do you miss me?

You mean to give me a lead role? Ohhh yessss provided the leading guy is Mori-tae ???? And of course romcom with all fluffy stuffs.

Back to the topic, I am no longer have a high hope for my girl to get a lead role especially if it means it will be another Our Gab-soon. I rather see her in second lead roles which at times can be more interesting.

August 29, 2017 at 11:37 AM

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Haha, I meant to give Kim So Eun a lead role of course. About a rom-com with Mori-Tae, I'm afraid I can't give my approval. It will have to be a fierce love triangle with me. Or you keep Tae Woon and I'll have Mori ??

August 28, 2017 at 5:34 PM

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Drama special always becomes my personal favorite break from the longer mini series that demand 16-20 hours commitment. And this season is full of my favorite actors, which is a big plus, so I look forward to all different romances that they promised.

August 28, 2017 at 8:07 PM

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This sounds so fun, and the casts sound promising. Short dramas can sometimes be a good thing (less time to get too emotionally involved, and a lower chance of experiencing the post-show blues thereafter)!

August 28, 2017 at 10:53 PM

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LOL So-eun why did you left your cute husband? Especially with his cute face (Lee Sang-yeob's drooling face in the first teaser is priceless and just connected well with the line "Let's fall in love" ??).

Anyway I'm excited for all these drama. KBS drama specials are always the gems and maybe that's the reason why tvN is following their step as well. jTBC can consider to do this too imo. The funny thing is, they put talented actors in these drama specials, but for full-length drama they tend to choose either rookies, idols and less talented actors. hah.

August 30, 2017 at 10:25 AM

August 29, 2017 at 8:50 AM

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Here's a list of some of the drama specials I've watched that I liked. Some of these aren't found on the legal streaming sites. Others are on Viki and/or on KBSWorld on YouTube. These are in no particular order.

August 29, 2017 at 1:29 PM

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I love, love, love the KBS drama specials. They are always of top-notch quality, in writing, directing and acting, have quirky unusual stories, with sometimes surprising twists. The only thing I don't like is the frequency of open endings and sad endings, so I usually go to comments beforehand, searching for some kind soul with spoilers: if they end badly I just don't watch.